Tea Party Convention or Evangelical Hoedown?

Nobody is fooled. Nobody. Tea Party activists are the same tired Bible thumpers who co-opted the GOP and turned the once respectable (if fundamentally flawed) conservative movement into a 24/7 evangelical revival.  They screech about lower taxes and smaller government but their ultimate goal is to turn the election process into a vehicle for theocracy with a hard-bitten Jesus at the wheel.

John Perr on Crooks and Liars:  (T)he supposed Tea Party movement is simply a continuation of the right-wing's failed 2008 presidential campaign by other means... The sessions by Pastor Rick Scarborough and Judge Roy Moore at today's National Tea Party Convention show, the assembled Birthers, Birchers, Deathers and Deniers have seamlessly embraced the extremist religious right agenda. They are Tea Bagging for Jesus and they are in your face about it...  Among Pastor Scarborough's closest allies has been the disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom Delay.  At his 2006 War on Christians conference, Scarborough defended His Hammer:  "I believe the most damaging thing that Tom DeLay has done in his life is take his faith seriously into public office, which made him a target for all those who despise the cause of Christ."  As the indicted Delay left the stage, Scarborough urged him to "keep your eyes on Jesus" and informed the audience that "God always does his best work after a crucifixion."

Nashville Scene's Jeff Woods writes about Judge Roy Moore, beloved by teabaggers everywhere:  Leave it to the "Ten Commandments judge" to inject gay bashing into the tea party convention. In his big speech this afternoon, Roy Moore castigated President Obama for the far-right's usual litany of offenses and added this one for good measure: Obama had the audacity to issue a proclamation for "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." To Moore, that means the president "has elevated immorality to a new level."  "Go forth armed in the holy cause of liberty," he told the cheering tea partiers.  (Ed Brayton notes that Judge Moore has in the past advocated the death penalty for gays and lesbians.) 

The tea party crowd does not "reach across party lines," as they'd like independent voters to believe.  They are mired in fanatical dogma up to their self-righteous asses.  Beneath those funny hats are minds that view "freedom of religion" as compulsory Christianity.  To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, they promote a government of the Bible, by the Bible, and for the Bible.  If they ever achieve political power, we will all be at mercy of American ayatollahs doing the "Lord's work."

UPDATE: Last night at the Tea Party Convention, former governor Sarah Palin said that one of Congress's top priorities should be "asking for divine intervention from God."  She also said she wants our elected representatives to "proclaim their alliance to our Creator."  Both remarks drew heavy applause.